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Orders to Investigate Columbia Protesters Raised Alarms in Justice Dept.
The New York Times ^ | May 1, 2025Updated 4:56 p.m. ET | Devlin Barrett

Posted on 05/01/2025 6:56:10 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Behind the scenes, a top department official pressed employees to gather a list of activists and investigate them, people familiar with the matter said.

A top Trump appointee in the Justice Department ordered an aggressive investigation in the last several months of student protesters at Columbia University, raising anger and alarm among career prosecutors and investigators who saw the demand as politically motivated and lacking legal merit, people familiar with the episode said.

The demand for the inquiry into students who protested Israel’s conduct of the conflict in Gaza also prompted pushback from a federal magistrate judge, who believed some of the steps being sought by the official, Emil Bove III, were unjustified and might violate the First Amendment, the people said.

The breadth of the investigation, conducted by the Justice Department’s civil rights division, has not been previously reported. The ensuing clash highlights the tensions roiling the department as administration officials seek to enact President Trump’s agenda. That bid includes redirecting the civil rights division away from its traditional approach of protecting the rights of minority groups to a new mission of fulfilling a campaign promise to crack down on student protesters amid accusations of rampant antisemitism on college campuses.

Those types of demands from political appointees at the Justice Department are part of the reason there has been an exodus of lawyers from the division in recent weeks, according to current and former officials.

The federal investigation into student protesters at Columbia appears to have stalled for now, but it represents one of the most contentious episodes yet inside the Justice Department during Mr. Trump’s second term. The dispute has left lingering ill will within the department, as well as the courts and the F.B.I., the people said.

Asked for comment, Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general,...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: antisemitism; columbiauniversity; cuckingforisrael; demedia; democrathypocrisy; devlinbarrett; domesticterrorism; domesticterrorists; donaldisowned; enemieslist; enemyjournalist; fbi; fbiantisemitism; fbimouthpiece; fbireporter; firstamendment; israelfirst; lorettapreska; nazisalarmed; naziyouthtimes; nyslimes; nytantisemitism; officialdemnarrative; onlyisraelmatters; sarahnetburn; sdnewyork; zog
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...raising anger and alarm among career prosecutors and investigators who saw the demand as politically motivated and lacking legal merit...

But no alarm was raised when they did it to President Trump.

1 posted on 05/01/2025 6:56:10 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Exactly, lefties are just hypocrites.


2 posted on 05/01/2025 7:02:26 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Exactly. Year upon year of politically motivated investigations and fabrications targeting President Trump, but nary a peep out of the New York Times.

For the life of me, I don't known why the 9/11 terrorists didn't take out the New York Times too.

3 posted on 05/01/2025 7:03:54 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This is the pro-trans whacko judge on the case:

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/first-us-senate-panel-rejects-biden-judicial-nominee-new-york-2024-07-11/

A U.S. Senate panel on Thursday narrowly rejected one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees in New York after Republicans strenuously objected to a decision she issued as a magistrate judge recommending that a transgender inmate convicted of child sex abuse be transferred to a women’s prison.

Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia broke with his fellow Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee and joined with Republicans on a 10-11 vote to reject advancing U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn’s nomination to become a life-tenured district court judge for the full chamber’s consideration.


4 posted on 05/01/2025 7:06:20 PM PDT by Wayne07
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
its traditional approach of protecting the rights of minority groups

Sounds like that's exactly what they're trying to do for Jewish students.

5 posted on 05/01/2025 7:07:29 PM PDT by HartleyMBaldwin
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Takedown on the first post!

Consider yourself *highly* commended!


6 posted on 05/01/2025 7:09:34 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie; Red Badger; null and void; Jane Long

(For the life of me, I don’t known why the 9/11 terrorists didn’t take out the New York Times too.)

Because they’re on the same side? 🤪😛😜

Same agenda? Destroy America?


7 posted on 05/01/2025 7:10:16 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

no problem going after parents at school board meetings or protesting baby killing facilities either. hmmmm...


8 posted on 05/01/2025 7:14:15 PM PDT by Qwapisking ("The left will rue the day they cheated Trump out of the 2020 election forever" L.Star )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“… the reason there has been an exodus of lawyers from the division in recent weeks, …”

That’s not the reason they are leaving. They don’t have to answer questions if they no longer work there.

EC


9 posted on 05/01/2025 7:15:34 PM PDT by Ex-Con777
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

You mean like Jan 6 grandmas?


10 posted on 05/01/2025 7:18:55 PM PDT by Mark (DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“... a federal magistrate judge, who believed some of the steps being sought by the official, Emil Bove III, were unjustified and might violate the First Amendment, the people said.”

I don’t recall any complaints about targeting J6 rally attendees.


11 posted on 05/01/2025 7:22:03 PM PDT by Yogafist
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Just continuing to get those danged chipmunks to stick their heads up out of their hole...

Then BANG! Soyonara, treasonous communist scum...


12 posted on 05/01/2025 7:30:36 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is rabble-rising Sam Adams now that we need him? Is his name Trump, now?)
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To: SaveFerris
Hahaha. You are right. Duh! I wasn't thinking. I was trying to think but nothing happened.

New York Times and the terrorists are on the same side.

13 posted on 05/01/2025 7:33:53 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

😃😄🤣🤪😛😛


14 posted on 05/01/2025 7:42:33 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

DOJ does not set policy and is NOT independent.


15 posted on 05/01/2025 8:24:52 PM PDT by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2025... RETURN OF THE JEDI...)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I’d call supporting Hamas, or any terrorist org., a national security concern.

They’re uncomfortable looking into activists with ties to terrorists? Must be Democrats.


16 posted on 05/01/2025 9:25:36 PM PDT by TigersEye (The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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To: All

These same career prosecutors and investigators had no problem putting undercover assets in Catholic churches.


17 posted on 05/01/2025 9:33:33 PM PDT by TigersEye (The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Americans aren’t being deported or threatened, only those who lied to get a student visa or those here illegally.

As others have stated: Hypocrites. And liars.

This hearkens to my prior comments: Bondi needs to clean house or POTUS needs to replace her.


18 posted on 05/01/2025 9:50:52 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: Ex-Con777

“ They don’t have to answer questions if they no longer work there.”

Drop some Congressional subpoenas on them.

If they don’t answer questions cite them for contempt and prosecute.

L


19 posted on 05/01/2025 9:59:44 PM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Alarms that the gig was up and they no longer can protect their fellow communists.


20 posted on 05/01/2025 10:14:16 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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